


Your Mother Can't Be With You Anymore

by goatdad



Category: The Walking Dead (Video Games)
Genre: pre-season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 05:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2257569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goatdad/pseuds/goatdad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set pre-season 2, Nick struggles to take care of his mother after she's been bitten.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Mother Can't Be With You Anymore

"How could you have just let him in without even checking to see if he was bitten!?"

It felt like his head was plugged up. Like his ears needed to be popped or he got in a plane that had just set off. All that even seemed to get through was the sound of his uncle arguing with these voiceless faces who did nothing but silently bark back in retaliation. Not because they were being accused of anything or that they're mad at each other. They were just upset.  
They were just really really upset.

"Well, I'm sorry if we don't cavity search every fucking guy who comes near our cabin!!" Rebecca shouted, rolling her hands into tight fists, "All he wanted was a place to sleep and he said he'd go, he was the one who hid his fucking leg from us!!" Her voice cracked on the last note as her face wretched from guilt.

"Now, don't go blamin' Rebecca for this." Luke stepped in, hands raised as if he was trying to protest any further fighting, "Look. I know you're real torn up about this, trust me, I do. But, we should just go ahead and get this done with."

Nick felt a few eyes glance over his way as the grip on his gun started to become too slick with sweat to even hold properly.

Without even noticing(or not wanting to), Luke made a soft pause as Pete's expression changed from a scowl to utter abandonment, "I'm just sayin' we should get this over with. Then we'll talk about what we're going to do to make sure this never happens again. Okay?"

"Are you sure we can't just release her out into the wild?" Carlos offered, feeling uneasy about killing one of their own. And for good reason. But, he decided to play it off with logic and hope that the others would hear him out this way. "Besides, we don't need to be wasting ammunition with something like this. And all over our shed, too. Who do you think is going to clean up the mess?"

"Well, Rebecca was the one who let the guy in." Luke offered without a thought.

"Woah now!" Alvin made a quick gesture with his hands to further express his disapproval, "We're not having anyone clean up anything. I'm for what Carlos said. After all, we don't have to resort to violence."

Touching a small hand to her husband's sleeve, Rebecca gave a soft nod, "No, Alvin. I'll do it." The amount of guilt boiling inside her stomach was enough to make it feel as if she was having twins. "We can just- end this whole thing and I'll clean it all up. It'll be like it never even happened."

"You fucking know what?!" Nick yelled at the top of his lungs, making his voice ring out and clear out any other words or thoughts anyone else previously had. "No! No it's not going to be like it never even happened, okay!? That's my mom in there and all you're doing is talking about her like she's-" He could feel his thoughts twist into an angle that it couldn't unwind any words from, "Like she's some kind of animal!!"

"Look, man." Luke tried to calm him down with a hand on his shoulder. "All we're trying to do is see that this doesn't happen again."

"See that what never happens again!? My mom turning into one of them!? Because that sure as fuck already happened!!"

The rest of the group stared at him in a manner that made his heart want to fall out of his chest. It was as if he could practically hear them tell him that he's 'too hysterical' or 'should probably leave this up to the adults' and all of this just rose his pulse into his throat to the point that he could hardly even breathe.

As the rising tension reached it's boiling point, there was nothing else to say or do to save him now except; "I'll do it." He surrendered and hated himself for doing so. "I'll take care of her." Just so long as he acts perfectly normal, no one is going to treat him any different from the others. They won't try to push him out of this decision and they won't give him those looks anymore.

"Son, you shouldn't have to do this." Pete attempted to comfort his nephew, seeing all too well something that's happened many times before. "We can find another way around this if we just decide together."

"No, I- I want to do this." He lied, "It's my responsibility. I'm the man of the house and I should be the one to take care of my mom."

Before Pete or anyone else could interject, Luke praised his decision with, "Well it's settled then." A look of relief panned out across his face as everyone stopped bickering and just faded back to their usual banter of what they're going to do in the fallout. "We'll leave you to have some time with her before you, well, you know.." 

"Thanks." Nick managed to say as he could feel himself begin to breathe, again, once people were starting to return back inside the cabin.

His uncle gave him a stern look as if he knew better and that just ate him up inside with either anger or fear or something he couldn't even put his finger on.

"I wanted to do it." He testified, once again. As if he was trying to prove something.

"No boy should have to put down his momma..." Pete testified, attempting to give his nephew a chance to back out of it, now, if he wants to.

Grasping his gun so tight that he could feel the grip pressing uncomfortably into his skin, Nick gnashed his teeth in retaliation, "Yeah, but, I'm not a boy, anymore!!" All he was doing at this point was trying to start this fight that they both knew he wouldn't win.

So, instead, Pete forfeited with a slow nod, "I'm only gonna let you do this because I take your word on it that you feel this is something you gotta do." He let out an exasperated breath through his nostrils that seemed to let out all of the determination he had left in his body. "But, if you can't- and I'm not saying that it'll be because you're not 'man' enough or that you're 'too emotional' but, if you can't do it, I want you to let me know. Because I'm not letting my sister suffer more than she already has." He hesitated for a moment and placed a hand on Nick's shoulder, softly tightening his fingers around it's bony shape, "You either."

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

If it wasn't for his uncle's watch, he wouldn't have known how much time had passed since he's been perched out here in front of this goddamn shed.  
Three hours.  
Three god damn hours he's had to listen to that horrendous wail go on and on and on for hours on end. Only being defened by her vain attempts to escape. It was so awful. He couldn't even believe he agreed to this. He would do anything to be the one who was bitten.. Or at least make it so that they could just let her go free, it's not like she'd cause them that much trouble.  
But, maybe, that's what he could do.

 

"Well, this is no good." Luke sighed in a disaproving tone, lingering over him in that manner that parents would when they've caught you doing something that you knew you would get in trouble for.

Feeling his head buzz with worries of what he might say or do, Nick could feel all of the built up emotions writhing in his chest rush out all at once without warning. "What!?" He barked, "You wanna do it!? Fine!!" Violently shoving his rifle into Luke's gut, "Then fucking do it, already!!"

Recoiling from this outburst, he let the gun fall to the ground. "Look man, I'm not-"

Barraging him with anger, Nick could feel his own face turn a bright shade of red, "You wanted to just get rid of her!! Like she's one of those monsters, but, she's not, okay!!" As soon as he realized what he was doing, he could feel himself lose momentum, "She's not...like them." A tidal wave of guilt crashed into his body. He wanted to just go back not say those things. He wanted Luke to forget them. Or at least, he wanted Luke to pretend to forget, at least for his sake.

"I get it, okay. I'm just here to help you get it done." Luke's attempt to explain only caused his friend's stomach to drop even further.

"I just-" He wanted to run. To escape from this heavy weight bearing down on his mind, but, he didn't. He couldn't. "I just don't know if I can do it."

"It's okay." His friend chirpped with a clean smirk, reaching down to pick up his abandoned rifle, "I know it's not easy, but, maybe it'll help for you to visualize." Placing it firmly in Nick's hands as though he was presenting some sort of an award.

What an award this was.

Now, Nick didn't really want to go along with whatever Luke was trying to bait him into, but, at this point, he assumed that if he did, they could just forget his little outburst and everything would be okay. So he bit.  
"Visualize?"

"Yeah, yeah." He was more enthusiastic about this than anyone should be, "You've gone hunting, right?" An odd question that merited no answer. "It's just like that." Grabbing him by the shoulder, he knelt, dragging Nick along with him, "You just gotta be real quiet, wait until they're real unsuspecting. Then you just aim right between the eyes and squeeze the trigger."

Just that sentence, alone, made Nick's mouth run dry.

"You don't have to even look. Just head right back to the cabin and Rebecca'll take care of the rest." Giving a firm pat to his friend's back, he felt so accomplished for doing such a great thing for him.

His palms shook so uncontrollably, Nick was almost afraid he would drop his gun, again. "Would you mind...not being there when I do it?" He didn't really want to be by himself, but, what will it look like if he needs to have his hand held all the time? Especially when he said he'd do this, himself.

"Sure." Luke rose, giving a kind smile of reassurance, "Just remember: 'it's just like hunting'."

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

It was dangerous to be out here in the middle of the night. 

Or at least, that's what Carlos always told them. Not like he cared. He just wanted to stay here with her and hope that a lurker would be generous enough to give him the same treatement they've given pretty much everyone else he's ever known. Like that nice lady who lived across the street who would call the police when his dad got out of control. Or that guidance councelor he had in fourth grade who would tell him he has great potentail despite his failing grades. 

What potentail did he ever possess that would let him live like this? 

Even going back to Carver would be better.  


\------------------------------------------------------------------

He didn't even know he had even fallen asleep, but, when a bright light streaked across his face, he couldn't help but to react by covering it. 

"What're you doing still out here?" Uncle Pete's voice sounded so groggy he almost didn't even recognize it, himself. God, what time is it, even? 

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he gave a half reply of, "I dunno. What're you doing out here?" 

"Alvin made stew." He raised a bowl in his other hand as an offer. "You, uh, you didn't do it, did you?" Pete's expression had traces of something he remembered seeing when his dad had given him a noticeable shiner. Like he wants to say something, but, won't for some reason.

"I-" At this point, Nick didn't know what to say, either. And it hurt. "I can't do it Uncle Pete...I can't..." He started sniffling despite the fact that there was already a long trail of snot already making it's way down his face at this point.

Softly exhailing, Pete set down the bowl and the flashlight at his nephew's feet and reached for the rifle only for Nick to pull it even closer to his body.

Wiping his bright red face on his sleeve, Nick knew that if he didn't do it, now, he would never live it down. "I have to." Standing up, he felt like he was floating. As though he was still asleep. Like how, when you dream, you do things but your rational mind is completely indifferent to the rest of you. His soul was buzzing with how he couldn't possibly do this. How it would be murdering his own mother. How Uncle Pete would be losing a sister and it's his fault. He couldn't even just do it right away like a real man would. He had to wait it out and let her suffer as much as possible and break curfew and have two people sent out after him just to make sure he would do it. No one will ever trust him with anything big, again, unless they want it to be dragged out as long as possible. All while his body just moved on it's own, droning along like a robot.

He didn't even realize that he had done it until the gunshot rung out.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Nick's back!!" Sarah exclaimed, running down the stairs with a big grin on her face, "I wonder what he brought back from his hunting trip!" She managed to slip through the living room and fling open the door fast enough to catch the sight of Nick's face just drenched in tears and snot and everything in between.

"Go back to bed Little Missy." Pete cautioned her with a firm tone, "Your old man'll skin you alive if he saw you down here."

Turning the corner with a soft layer of amusement over his morbid expression, Carlos looked down at his curious daughter, "Yes, he would." Crossing his arms he gave Nick a once-over before asking in an almost-whisper, "So, did he do it?"

Pete couldn't do anything at this point other than avoid eye contact despite how childish and brash it seemed. But, for now? He didn't really care about all that. He felt a sense of bitterness towards every single person in the world even those who didn't have anything to do with this. And he knew it wasn't going to go away for a long, long time. He figured that's what it must feel like when you lose someone close to you. And he secretly hoped Carlos wouldn't ever have to feel the same. "Yeah."

Turning to Sarah, Pete managed to put on a happy face for her sake, "Make sure Nick finishes every single bite." He placed the bowl of now-cold stew in her hands. "Then it's off to bed for the both of you." 

Her eyes lit up at this command as she saluted with a silly grin, "Yes sir!" Quickly grabbing Nick by the wrist and clambering up the stairs with him in tow.

Carlos cocked an eyebrow at this, "What was that about?"

"Maybe her cheeryness would do him some good. Children have that kind of power, you know?" Jamming an index finger at the ceiling, a sense of protectiveness formed in his voice, "You let that boy rest, now. Give 'im three days to just relax, okay?"

"What about his duties?" Carlos asked with a face of disaproval.

"I'll take 'em." He paused. "Better yet, give 'em to Luke. He could use a bit more work to keep him busy."

Almost as if he had been summoned, Luke practically bolted from his usual position on the couch, "Woah, now, just because he's all shook up doesn't mean I have to-"

With nothing to show but a look- a simmering glare of anger that has been building for so many years of watching this boy that was practically his son tear himself up and down because of some cocky failed businessman who can hardly pass for trustworthy or even likeable thinks he can get away with the way he's been acting like it's nothing. Like there won't be any fallout from the way he pushes that boy around and demeans him like a dog. No, Luke would even treat dogs better than that.  
With this look, Luke was silenced. 

He moved as though he was ready to strike but stayed far back enough to show he wasn't in for a fight. "Listen, here, boy, because I won't tell you, again." Pete's words were spat out with a rage that no one had seen before. Even Carlos wasn't going to interfere at this point. "I hope to God that he goes before I do, because, I know no one in here is going to even try to give him a chance. Especially you." Glancing from Carlos to Luke and reading their clearly concerned faces, he didn't even feel an ounce of sympathy towards what they felt at this point. No, what matters is what Nick felt. What matters is what he felt. "Hell, I don't know any one of you here who I could trust to take care of that boy the way he needs to be taken care of." With this, he marched up stairs to make sure Sarah was keeping her end of their earlier bargain while leaving the both of them in the wake of his words.


End file.
